With the reform issue settled, tax measures are now the sticking point for the business sector, while for the unions, taxes and the promised pay raise are their issues. The frontline is being held by the teachers who today continued a record 8th day strike, as schools remained closed. Today district branches countrywide met to hear the proposals from government.
We attended the meeting in Belize City where over 200 teachers gathered at the BNTU main office for a mid-morning meeting. Chief on the agenda was confirmation that the strike continues despite letters from school managers to teachers personally requesting that they return to the classroom. President of the BNTU Belize District Branch Elena Smith frowned on the letters and the attempts.
Elena Smith, BNTU Belize Dist. President
"I got several calls and teachers came to me with that concern and we explained to them that the union is behind them and we are saying that they should continue the strike and if we have to go strike for them, we will do that. We also have principals who are telling them that if they don't report to school today they will be fired. Again we will look into that because teachers cannot be fired for standing up for their rights. So the union will work for them and we are going to fight for them."
Keith Swift,
This is the 8th school day, how long are you going to keep this up?
Elena Smith,
"We will go as long as is necessary. We have no set date and we know that people are saying we are going to lose salary and the children are losing out. Of course we worry about students because we are teachers, we worry about them, but we will find ways of dealing with that and finding ways of having them make up what they are missing out on. But teachers are saying that if our salaries are being deducted then we don't need to make up any days. But as teachers, even though we say that will happen, we will work with our children and we will give them extra work in the classroom. We will stay extra time with them and see that they will make up for what they losing out on despite what is going on."
With regards to the letter from Anglican School's General Manager Carol Babb, we were unable to get comment from her as she is out of the country. As mentioned, branch meetings were held countrywide today. In Corozal the members agreed to hold an ecumenical service tomorrow morning on Park Street South in Corozal to mark what they call a sad day in the history of Belize.
